H1N1 taught health officials how to better respond to flu

Health officials say the H1N1 flu virus will not make a comeback this fall, but the lessons learned from last year's pandemic will help them prepare for the upcoming flu season and the new school year.

Local health directors said the virus has been downgraded to post-pandemic. Flu vaccines this year will be in greater supply and will cover both normal seasonal strains as well as H1N1.

The highly contagious strain of influenza, which first appeared in the U.S. last spring, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization that June. After abating over the summer, the virus returned with the start of school in the fall.

The strain proved to not be as deadly as some health experts feared, but its quick spread throughout the country led to a spike in demand for a limited supply of vaccines, as well as a concerted effort by local towns, schools and health agencies to minimize its impact.

"As a result of having to go through that last year, we've developed some additional resources we can fall back on," Natick public health nurse Leila Mercer said.

The experience taught officials how to coordinate across multiple levels of government, she said, and in particular work with schools, where viruses spread rapidly.

Natick's health department also built up a reserve of volunteers that Mercer said have agreed to help run flu clinics this year.

Judy Styer, director of health services in the Framingham schools, said the H1N1 pandemic helped officials learn to deal with uncertainty better.

"We learned a tremendous amount about how to manage surprises," she said, "and how important it is to work as a team."

People also became more aware of their health as a result of the H1N1 scare, officials said. Many avoided the virus by improving their hygiene, such as washing their hands more often. Even the sick became better at not spreading the flu.

"People learned a lot," Styer said. "If you watch, when people cough or sneeze now, they're doing it into their sleeve."

Should those lessons carry over into the upcoming flu season, which typically begins in October, Styer said "this year will probably feel like a piece of cake."

The diminished threat of H1N1 this fall is a source of relief. Earlier this month the World Health Organization said the virus would continue to circulate as a seasonal flu but that the pandemic period was over.

Local schools, many of which resume classes next week, will continue to encourage students to wash their hands and follow coughing and sneezing etiquette, as well as avoiding contact with sick peers.

Towns are also planning flu vaccination clinics again this fall. Styer said Framingham has tentatively scheduled one each in October and November; Mercer said Natick is still sorting out dates.

Unlike last year, the H1N1 strain is now part of the regular flu vaccine, which means there won't be a need for separate immunizations.

Vaccines should also be more plentiful than last fall, when the H1N1 vaccine had to be produced on shorter notice and then, in many cases, shipped to various places in samll batches.

"We've been told there will be a bumper crop this year," Mercer said. "We're keeping our fingers crossed."

Another benefit from last year's flu response is that many municipal health departments have become more familiar with public schools and will be able to more easily organize clinics there this fall, Mercer said.

"Children are the No. 1 priority," Styer said. "They're the ones who bring (the flu) home."

After getting through the H1N1 scare last year, health authorities should be more prepared for the next pandemic, officials said.

"I think we got good practice at managing large numbers of people," Styer said.